Definition

• An anal fissure is the #1 cause of blood in stools
  • The blood is bright red, but only a few streaks or flecks are present
  • All the blood is on the surface of the stool or on the toilet tissue after wiping
  • Usually follows passage of a large or hard bowel movement (BM)
  • You may see a shallow tear at 6 or 12 o'clock on the anus